How Does Organic Amendment Improve Quinoa Growth and Productivity under Saline Conditions?

Abstract

Nowadays, salinization is becoming a serious problem affecting several agricultural areas, especially irrigated ones. A field experiment was conducted in Foum El Oued, south of Morocco, testing quinoa responses to three irrigation-water salinities (4, 12, and 20 dS/m) combined with nine organic amendments. The obtained results indicate that most of the growth and productivity parameters were negatively affected by salinity, while the effect of organic amendment varied from one salinity level to another. Under high salinity, sheep manure, compost, and insects improved quinoa seed yield by 157, 110, and 83%, respectively, compared to the control. The findings of this study recommend that organic amendment could be a judicious practice to improve quinoa yield under saline conditions.

Keywords

• compost
• manure
• biomass
• seed yield
• irrigation